JUNIPER NETWORKS OS Continuity Software User Guide

JUNIPER NETWORKS OS Continuity Software

Junos Continuity Software (Junos OS 14.1R4 and later)

Junos Continuity software enables routers to support new line cards by installing a Junos Continuity plug-in/package, without requiring a Junos OS upgrade in supported cases. After installation, bring new line cards online and (if GRES is enabled) ensure the same package is installed on both Routing Engines.

Specifications & Supported Configurations

Quick Installation & Activation Guide

1. Verify Junos OS support for Junos Continuity software on your router.
2. Download the Junos Continuity software package from https://www.juniper.net/support/.
3. Install the new line cards using the procedure in the router’s hardware guide.
4. (Optional) Run run show chassis fpc to check line card status (new cards may appear as FPC incompatible with SCB until they are brought online).
5. Install the Junos Continuity software package on the primary Routing Engine using:
   request system software add path/package-name
6. (Optional) If GRES is enabled, install the same Junos Continuity software package on the backup Routing Engine.
7. Verify installation with show version (JUNOS 64-bit JAM Plugin Software Suite should appear in the package list).
8. Bring the new line card online using:
   request chassis fpc slot slot-number online
9. (Optional) Verify line card and PICs are online using show chassis fpc pic-status.
10. (Optional) Verify the package supports the hardware using:
    show system software detail (example given shows supported MPCs/hardware).

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Troubleshooting

• Line cards show as “FPC incompatible with SCB” after installation: This can occur because the router cannot recognize the cards yet. Install Junos Continuity software and then bring the line cards online using request chassis fpc slot slot-number online.
• Installing with “validate” option doesn’t activate as expected: Juniper Networks recommends not using the validate option. If you do use validate, you need to restart the router to activate the Junos Continuity software package.
• GRES enabled but hardware loses operability after switchover: Install the Junos Continuity software package on both the primary and backup Routing Engines so the line cards remain operational after GRES switchover.
• Uninstallation fails/causes undesired state: Before uninstalling, take the supported line cards offline with request chassis fpc slot slot-number offline. If GRES is enabled, uninstall on both primary and backup Routing Engines.
• After bringing a line card online, it still doesn’t become operational: Check recognition and status using show chassis fpc pic-status. “Present” means recognized; to make it operational, you must take it online.

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www.juniper.net

Juniper Networks, the Juniper Networks logo, Juniper, and Junos are registered trademarks of Juniper Networks, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks, service marks, registered marks, or registered service marks are the property of their respective owners.
Juniper Networks assumes no responsibility for any inaccuracies in this document. Juniper Networks reserves the right to change, modify, transfer, or otherwise revise this publication without notice.
Junos Continuity Software User Guide (Junos OS Release 14.1R4 and Later Releases)
Copyright © 2026 Juniper Networks, Inc. All rights reserved.
The information in this document is current as of the date on the title page.

YEAR 2000 NOTICE
Juniper Networks hardware and software products are Year 2000 compliant. Junos OS has no known time-related limitations through the year 2038. However, the NTP application is known to have some difficulty in the year 2036.

END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
The Juniper Networks product that is the subject of this technical documentation consists of (or is intended for use with) Juniper Networks software. Use of such software is subject to the terms and conditions of the End User License Agreement (“EULA”) posted at https://support.juniper.net/support/eula/. By downloading, installing or using such software, you agree to the terms and conditions of that EULA.

About This Guide

Use this guide to get an understanding about the Junos Continuity Software, and learn how to install and uninstall the software on the router, and know about the hardware components that support this software. After completing the installation and basic configuration procedures covered in this guide, refer to the Junos OS documentation for information about further software configuration.

Documentation Conventions
For information about the notice icons and text and syntax conventions used in the documentation, see Documentation Conventions.

RELATED DOCUMENTATION

Overview

Junos Continuity Software Overview

Junos Continuity Software Overview
Junos Continuity is a software package that enables you to deploy new hardware in the network without the need to upgrade Juniper Networks Junos operating system (Junos OS). Junos Continuity software works like a pluggable software module that enables you to deploy new hardware by providing the drivers and support files required to bring the hardware online. Each version of the Junos Continuity software package supports a specific type of hardware, such as Modular Port Concentrators (MPCs), power supply modules, and so on. You can download and install the Junos Continuity software package that supports the hardware component that you want to deploy.
You can install Junos Continuity software to add support for new hardware on elected releases of Junos OS. An elected release is a maintenance release of Junos OS, which supports Junos Continuity software. You need to download the Junos Continuity software package that is specific to the elected release.
See Feature Explorer to confirm platform and release support.
You install the Junos Continuity software package to enable a router to support new hardware without the need to upgrade Junos OS. You can install the Junos Continuity software package as a standalone package or as a package bundled with Junos OS.

• Install the Standalone Junos Continuity Plug-in—You install the Standalone Junos Continuity Plug-in if the version of Junos OS that is installed on the router supports Junos Continuity software.
• Install the Junos Continuity Plug-in Integrated with Junos OS—You use the integrated package if the version of Junos OS that is installed on the router does not support the Standalone Junos Continuity Plug-in. This is a one-step process to upgrade Junos OS to Junos OS Release 15.1F4 and also to install Junos Continuity software.

Using Junos Continuity Software to Upgrade Line Cards

Line Card Upgrade Using Junos Continuity Software Overview
You can deploy new line cards on a router by installing Junos Continuity software, a software package that enables a router to support new hardware. With Junos Continuity, you can deploy new line cards without the need to upgrade Junos OS. You can just install the Junos Continuity Plug-in and bring the line cards online. Without Junos Continuity, you must upgrade Junos OS to support a new line card. You can bring the new line card online by using the request chassis fpc slot-number online command.
Because Junos OS upgrade is not required, this method of upgrading line hardware helps faster deployment of the new line cards and eliminates the time required for software release requalification. To support new hardware, you only need to install the Junos Continuity software package that is specific to the new hardware that you want to install.

NOTE: If graceful Routing Engine switchover (GRES) is enabled, you must install the Junos Continuity software package on both the primary and the backup Routing Engines to ensure that the line cards remain operational after a Routing Engine switchover.

Hardware Components Supported by Junos Continuity Software

MPC2E NG

Software release

• Refer to the JTAC Knowledgebase article https://kb.juniper.net/KB21476 for recommended software releases.
• Refer to MIC/MPC Compatibility for information about which MICs are supported on this MPC.

Description

• 80 Gbps capacity without hierarchical quality of service (HQoS)
• Requires high-capacity fan trays and high-capacity filter trays
• Weight: 15.96 lb (7.26 kg)
• Model numbers: MPC2E-3D-NG
• Name in the CLI: MPC2E NG PQ & Flex Q
• Add-on license provides limited additional flexible queuing.
NOTE: MPC2E-3D-NG is not compatible with SCB, you must use either SCBE-MX or SCBE2-MX for the switch fabric interface.

Hardware features

• Line-rate throughput of up to 80 Gbps
• Supports WAN-PHY mode at 9.95 Gbps and LAN-PHY mode at 10.31 Gbps
• Two slots for MICs
• Junos Trio chipsets for increased scaling for bandwidth, subscribers, and services. NOTE: MPC2E-3D-NG is not compatible with SCB, you must use either SCBE-MX or SCBE2-MX for the switch fabric interface.
NOTE: MPC2E-3D-NG does not support MIC3-3D-10XGE-SFPP,
MIC3-3D-1X100GE-CFP, MIC3-3D-1X100GE-CXP, and MIC3-3D-2X40GE-QSFPP. NOTE: The non-HQOS MPC3E NG and MPC2E NG MPCs support
MIC-3D-8CHOC3-4CHOC12 and MIC-3D-4CHOC3-2CHOC12 only with a limited queuing license.

MPC2E NG Q

• Refer to the JTAC Knowledgebase article https://kb.juniper.net/KB21476 for recommended software releases.
• Refer to MIC/MPC Compatibility for information about which MICs are supported on this MPC.

• 80 Gbps capacity with hierarchical quality of service (HQoS)
• Requires high-capacity fan trays and high capacity filter trays
• Weight: 15.96 lb (7.26 kg)
• Model number: MPC2E-3D-NG-Q
• Name in the CLI: MPC2E NG HQoS
NOTE: MPC2E-3D-NG-Q is not compatible with SCB, you must use either SCBE-MX or SCBE2-MX for the switch fabric interface.

• Line-rate throughput of up to 80 Gbps
• Supports up to 512,000 queues per slot
• Supports WAN-PHY mode at 9.95 Gbps and LAN-PHY mode at 10.31 Gbps
• Two slots for MICs
• Junos Trio chipsets for increased scaling for bandwidth, subscribers, and services. NOTE: The MPC2E-3D-NG-Q has only one lookup chip (LU).
NOTE: MPC2E-3D-NG-Q does not support MIC3-3D-10XGE-SFPP,
MIC3-3D-1X100GE-CFP, MIC3-3D-1X100GE-CXP, and MIC3-3D-2X40GE-QSFPP.

MPC3E-3D-NG

• Junos OS releases 14.1R4, 14.2R3 and Junos Continuity, Junos OS release 15.1 and later.
• Refer to MIC/MPC Compatibility for information about which MICs are supported on this MPC.
• Refer to the JTAC Knowledgebase article https://kb.juniper.net/KB21476 for recommended software releases.

• 130 Gbps capacity without hierarchical quality of service (HQoS)
• Requires high-capacity fan trays and high-capacity filter trays
• Weight: 15.96 lb (7.26 kg)
• Model number: MPC3E-3D-NG
• Name in the CLI: MPC3E NG PQ & Flex Q
• Add-on license provides limited additional flexible queuing.

• Line-rate throughput of up to 130 Gbps
• Supports WAN-PHY mode at 9.95 Gbps and LAN-PHY mode at 10.31 Gbps
• Early Junos releases support a maximum transmission unit (MTU) size of 9,192 bytes for host-bound packets. In later releases, the supported MTU size is 9,500 bytes.
• Two slots for MICs
• Junos Trio chipsets for increased scaling for bandwidth, subscribers, and services NOTE: The non-HQOS MPC3E NG and MPC2E NG MPCs support
MIC-3D-8CHOC3-4CHOC12 and MIC-3D-4CHOC3-2CHOC12 only with a limited queuing license.

• Chained composite next hops
• Layer 3 VPN localization
• Detection of Layer 2 loops
• Entropy label support in mixed mode
• SNMP and CLI support for Routing Engine memory monitoring
• Mixed Mode LAG support on core interfaces
• Dynamic power management for MICs
• Support for flexible-queuing
• See Protocols and Applications Supported by the MPC3E on MX Series Routers for information about the protocols and applications that this MPC supports.

MPC7E-MRATE

Uninstalling Junos Continuity Software Package

You can uninstall the Junos Continuity software package by using the request system software delete
software-package command. Before you uninstall Junos Continuity software package, you must take the line cards that Junos Continuity software supports offline.
This topic guides you through the uninstallation of the Junos Continuity software standalone package. The steps for uninstalling the Junos Continuity software package bundled with Junos OS are similar to those for downgrading Junos OS to an earlier release. See Software Installation and Upgrade Guide for more information about downgrading Junos OS.

NOTE: If GRES is enabled, you must uninstall the Junos Continuity software package from both the primary and the backup Routing Engines.

To uninstall the Junos Continuity software package:
1. (Optional) Run the show version command to verify that the Junos Continuity software package is installed on the router. For example, on a device that has Junos Continuity software installed:

{master}
user@router> show version
Hostname:
Model: mx2020
Junos: 15.1F4.15
JUNOS OS Kernel 64-bit [20151204.318939_builder_stable_10]
JUNOS OS libs [20151204.318939_builder_stable_10]
JUNOS OS runtime [20151204.318939_builder_stable_10]
JUNOS OS time zone information [20151204.318939_builder_stable_10] JUNOS OS libs compat32 [20151204.318939_builder_stable_10]
JUNOS OS 32-bit compatibility [20151204.318939_builder_stable_10] JUNOS py base [20151223.164524_builder_junos_151_f4]
JUNOS OS crypto [20151204.318939_builder_stable_10]
JUNOS network stack and utilities [20151223.164524_builder_junos_151_f4] JUNOS modules [20151223.164524_builder_junos_151_f4]

…
JUNOS Online Documentation [20151223.164524_builder_junos_151_f4] JUNOS 64-bit JAM Plugin Software Suite (MPC7E/8E/9E)
[20151224.015503_builder_junos_151_x56_d10]
JUNOS FIPS mode utilities [20151223.164524_builder_junos_151_f4]
{master}
user@router>

The show version command output indicates that the Junos Continuity software package (JUNOS 64-bit JAM Plugin Software Suite) is installed on the router.
2. Take the line card that Junos Continuity software supports offline by using the request chassis fpc slot slot-number offline command. For example, the following sample output shows that the line card is being taken offline.

{master}
user@router> request chassis fpc offline slot 19 Offline initiated, use “show chassis fpc” to verify
{master}
user@router>

3. (Optional) Verify that the line card is taken offline by using the show chassis fpc command. For example, the following sample output shows the status of line card after it is taken offline.

{master}
user@router> show chassis fpc
Temp CPU Utilization (%) CPU Utilization (%) Memory Utilization
(%)
Slot State (C) Total Interrupt 1min 5min 15min DRAM (MB) Heap
Buffer
0 Empty
1 Empty
2 Empty
3 Empty
…
16 Empty
17 Empty
18 Empty
19 Offline —Offlined by cli command—
master}
user@router>

4. Run the request system software delete software-package command to uninstall Junos Continuity software
package. For example, to uninstall the jam-mpc7-8-9-x86-64-15.1F4.15-C1.9 package:

{master}
user@router> request system software delete jam-mpc7-8-9
Uninstalling jam-mpc7-8-9-x86-64-15.1F4.15-C1.9
chassisd un-loaded successfully
chassisd un-loaded successfully for fabric
/packages/db/jam-mpc7-8-9-x86-64-15.1F4.15-C1.9
cosd un-loaded successfully
dcd un-loaded successfully
dfwd un-loaded successfully
clksyncd un-loaded successfully
l2ald un-loaded successfully
WARNING: Please Uninstall the JAM package on the other RE also in order to avoid unexpected
behaviour
jam-mpc7-8-9-x86-64-15.1F4.15-C1.9 has been uninstalled successfully
{master}
user@router>